Stormbreaker
by funk2242
Summary: Ian Rider's last mission. Oneshot.


Ian Rider was sitting in front of his boss, Mr. Blunt. Blunt was briefing Ian on his next mission. He was to infiltrate Stormbreaker Industries. There was something suspicious going on there and it was Ian's job to find out what. Ian would be head of security and he would find if the company was legal or if something was fishy, and whether Herod Sayle, the company's owner, knew anything about it.

Blunt finished and Ian stood up.

"I'm ready, sir."

"Very good. Go down to Smithers and he will get you some things for your mission."

Ian loved the overly fat old man, Smithers. He was a friendly sort of fellow, and always could not suppress a smile.

"Rider! It's been especially good to design your gadgets for this mission! First, we have some shaving cream. It can melt metal right in half! And here we have this cell phone. Press 51697 to contact M16 by voice, press 52859 to send us a text message. M16 will never call you; they will either text you or leave a voice message. The phone also works like an ordinary phone and has Internet and a tracking device so we can find you wherever you go."

"Wow. Well. Anything else?"

"As a matter of fact, yes! Here is a specialized 'elite' gun. It shoots very accurately--within a hundredth of a centimeter of the target. It can shoot both tranquilizer darts and regular .45 bullets. Currently it is only one of four I have developed."

"Thanks, Smithers. This is great. I'll be on my way now."

Ian Rider got into his silver BMW and raced off to Stormbreaker Industries. After getting let in, Ian found Sayle and reported in for the job. Donning his uniform, Ian prepared for a day of scouring the grounds. Going into his room, Ian planned where he would go and when.

The first stop was the actual grounds of the company. There was a long runway for planes to take off and land, and in a corner there was a helicopter, its rotors spinning. Men were loading boxes onto a cargo plane and guards oversaw the whole thing. Going back into the building, Ian heard a low humming sound. It was seven o' clock and Ian was hungry, so he went out for dinner at a nearby resturant. Then, coming back, Ian flopped on his bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, Ian woke up to the low humming sound again. He was determined to find what the noise was. Having a free pass, Ian walked down to the underground level of Stormbreaker Industrues, but the guards wouldn't let him in a large boiler room.

Remembering what Blunt had said about an old mine being under the company grounds, Ian made a trip to the local library. Asking for a book on the old mines in the town, he found it and checked it out. Then Ian went to the general store and bought a dry suit and flashlight.

When he arrived at the old mine shaft, Ian was surprised to see that the trapdoor was locked. He pried it open using a crowbar he found nearby. Then Ian was surprised again to see so much water inside the shaft. He put on the dry suit and took a deep breath, then dove under the water. He counted the seconds, but soon lost them. Panicking, Ian swam faster, but with it went several precious bubbles of air. Ian was just about ready to give in when his head poked above water and Ian gasped for a deep breath of air.

He was in a small underground passage, but it was completely dark. Taking his flashlight from under the dry suit and a piece of paper, Ian explored the passageway. Twice he got lost, but Ian knew he was getting closer because the low humming sound was growing louder.

Ian looked down on the makeshift trail he had drawn on the piece of paper. He folded it up and put it into his pocket. Then Ian flicked off his flashlight and put it on the ground. He wouldn't need it anymore because now there was light in the passageway. The light was so bright that Ian could actually see the color of the rock. Approaching the entrance, Ian walked into the large room. There were men in chemical suits holding metal boxes and tubes, packaging, counting, and sorting them. A guard walked past and Ian ducked his head back into the passageway.

Then a voice over a loudspeaker blared out. "Unit S to the decontamination room. Unit S for decontamination in three minutes." Ian pondered what this meant. They had to be decontaminated from something--was this a drug laboratory? Or maybe this was a chemical farm. Then, hearing people approach, Ian ducked back to the darkness.

"...the computers will all be set to leave in five weeks. The viruses have been loaded and the plan will proceed as planned..." Ian wondered what the viruses were. Computer viruses? No, why would Sayle want to destroy what he had created? Or were they actually viruses that caused sicknesses? Ian needed a lot more information. He went back to the library and checked out several books on viruses.

When he got back to his room, Ian stuck his map in a crack in the ceiling. Pondering what he had just learned, Ian decided to sneak around some more. He reached for his cell phone-but it was gone! Ian must have dropped it while swimming in the mine shaft.

Leaving his room, Ian headed to the entrance room of Stormbreaker Industries.

XXX

The computer in Herod's room beeped. A breach had been detected in the mine shaft. Guards had been dispatched and they saw Ian Rider, head of security, spying on the assembly line.

Herod called for Mr. Grin. "Grin. Take a search team to Rider's room. Report back to me in two hours."

XXX

Ian strolled down the entrance hall and into the computer laboratory. No one was inside, so Ian used his pass to get in. Accessing a computer, Ian clicked on 'project details' and found a wealth of information. Herod Sayle had placed viruses into each of the Stormbreaker computers and when the computers were powered on, the viruses would be released and everybody in the area would be killed.

XXX

Mr. Grin had reported back to Sayle. He wrote his findings down on paper and handed it to Sayle.

_Found a piece of paper with library bookshelf number to mining book of mine beneath grounds. Also line map traced to be a path throughout the mine. Ian found in computer room reading plans._

Sayle nodded, took out his cell phone and pressed a number.

.

XXX

Ian was excited. He ran to his car to drive to M16 headquarters and report the situation. Gunning the engine, he took off. Thinking his report over, Ian Rider sped down to the Royal and General.

XXX

Yassen Gregovorich received the call from Herod Sayle. Sayle wanted a certain Ian Ride superspy dead. The target was now traveling down toward central London.

Yassen parked around a curb and set up a heavy machine gun. Then, his finger on the trigger, Yassen sat behind the machine gun and waited for his target.

XXX

Ian Rider's instinct told him something was wrong. A moment later, Ian found out what.

Flashes of light and the rattling of a machine gun were the last sights and sounds Ian Rider heard before he died, an expression on his face that meant total surprise.


End file.
